Bring clarity, prevention to tragic event On Dec. 8, a disabled, and it turned out dying, plane was deliberately flown over all five south University City schools and their 4500 students. We, the founders of the UC Jet Crash Committee — reach us at [email protected] — spoke at Thursday’s community meeting in order to learn why the crash occurred and to prevent it from happening again. Admittedly, crashes are rare at Miramar and crashes occurring outside the base perimeter even rarer. But this appears different. This time the crash occurred (to some degree) because of actions taken at the outset of the emergency, tens of miles before the plane arrived over our neighborhood. We know that the Marine F-18 lost power to one of its two engines while training offshore. We know this was serious enough to initiate an emergency that required the plane to land directly and without turning. We know this resulted in the plane flying straight back to Miramar and approach via runway 6. This put the plane on a rarely, if ever used western approach to Miramar, taking it within waving distance over Mission Bay Montessori, Spreckels, Standley, Curie and UCHS. While on approach, the second engine failed. The pilot safely ejected while the plane fell two miles short of the runway, 200 yards past the high school ball field and 740 yards past Curie Elementary. Two homes were destroyed, four people killed and several families displaced. We look forward to working with anyone who can help bring clarity to this tragic event and assure us that steps will be taken to prevent it from happening again. Instantaneous and unmanageable accidents are somewhat understandable. Possibly preventable ones bring about a different reaction. Stephanie Jed Richard P. Ramirez, Cmdr., U.S. Navy (Ret.) Bob Stein Pia Mantovani-Sud University City Is everyone sharing the pain? Re “Council ponders solutions to coastal trash problems” by Alyssa Ramos (Village News, Jan. 22, page 1): Each week we hear of more services being deferred, cut or being considered for new fees/taxes. I for one would be interested in learning specifically how many job positions have been eliminated commensurate with cuts and services; or are we still paying salaries and benefits to people who were hired to do services that have now been eliminated? As an aside, the city employee quoted in the article is with Park and Rec. Am I to understand that they have their own trash pick-up in addition to our Sanitation Department? Joy Urich, La Jolla Submit musician’s name for street banners We have a wonderful opportunity to recognize local musicians by nominating them to be featured on street banners that will hang along Harbor Drive and, I believe, some on Rosecrans Street in May and June 2009. The banner project is a promotion for the 2009 San Diego County Fair. The theme of the 2009 Fair is “Music Mania.” These street banners will feature individuals involved in music within your community. Fair staff will photograph individuals you nominate to represent your community. Banners will be designed, produced and hung in your community on existing banner poles. The program gives us the opportunity to highlight musical talent in the Peninsula area. The banner project defines a musician as: “A person of significant accomplishment in the field of music or music education.” If you have a nomination, please complete a form that can be downloaded from www.plconcerts.org and return it to me for selection by Feb. 15. Please share the information with your friends or direct them to the website. All musicians selected must be available for a photo shoot in March 2009. Martha Phillips Point Loma Association Summer Concerts Chair [email protected]